TV diaries fade away

Nielsen to use people meters in South Florida

For decades, TV ratings giant The Nielsen Co. has learned who watches what shows and when by asking family members to keep a written TV diary.

Now, it's turning to electronic devices called "Local People Meters" to more quickly obtain accurate demographic information for advertisers and media.

The company plans to install meters in 600 homes in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties this summer for testing and begin compiling data in October. Palm Beach County, a smaller TV market, will get the devices no later than 2012.

The meters will register what has been watched on every TV and viewing device in a home every 2.7 seconds. Each family member will be assigned a button to punch in when they watch and when they leave the room. Visitors to the household watching TV also will key in their gender and age.

The goal is to register more detailed data on what, for example, an 18-year-old Latina might be watching at 9 p.m. weekdays, so that advertisers and media can tailor choices more effectively, said Nielsen executive Monica Gil at a briefing in Miami Beach on Tuesday.

The new system no longer relies on memory, with individuals asked to write down what they are watching every 15 minutes during a full week.

Media executives like that the meters will produce data on target audiences as soon as the next day. The time lag on information recorded in diaries is several weeks. Many households already have meters on TVs, but existing devices only register what show is on, not who is watching.

Nielsen estimates local advertisers last year spent $609 million, enough to seek more accurate data.

"This makes the system more efficient," said Robert Leider, general manager of Channel 7, WSVN, which broadcasts in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

Still, measurements won't be foolproof. Individuals may forget or choose not to punch in data, said media analysts.

Nielsen will randomly select homes to mirror U.S. Census data, and families receive small gifts and payments for participating. Meters will be installed in homes for up to two years, with a data center monitoring the devices, Gil said.

The Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe county area ranks as the country's 16th largest TV market, with 1.5 million TV households. The South Florida market is among the most diverse: 41 percent Hispanic, 19 percent African-American and 2 percent Asian and Pacific-American, census data show.

Doreen Hemlock can be reached at dhemlock@sun-sentinel.com or 305-810-5009.